Sea turtles live in both tropical and subtropical oceans all over the world. There are seven species of sea turtles- hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, olive ridley, flat back, and loggerhead. The flat back sea is native to Australian waters, while the remaining six species are found in United States waters. Sea turtles live in the ocean their entire lives, but adult female turtles must go to a beach to lay her eggs. Nesting beaches can often be a long distance from the turtle’s usual habitat. All seven of these species are under the endangered species list. There are numerous reasons why these creatures are endangered and also numerous efforts to prevent extinction of this beautiful animal.
Some of the reasons for sea turtle endangerment include destruction of habitat, accidents involving commercial fisheries, and pollution of water in which they live in. Destruction of habitat is one of the major causes for sea turtle endangerment. An extremely important place for sea turtles is the beach, because it is where they lay their eggs. Beaches can be destroyed by numerous actions. One is the building of seawalls and jetties. These man made structures can change the natural long-shore drift patterns therefore eroding good portions of beach. Beaches are also becoming increasingly polluted by humans. People litter on the beach and the trash isn’t always biodegradable. Trash also makes its way into the ocean and it is then washed ashore. This litter and pollution is dangerous for the nesting turtles and their eggs.
People around the world are taking action to prevent extinction of sea turtles. These actions include awareness programs, cleaning up beach litter, and implementing fishing laws. It is important that people try to help save these species because once they are gone, they will be gone for good.
Some of the reasons for sea turtle endangerment include destruction of habitat, accidents involving commercial fisheries, and pollution of water in which they live in. Destruction of habitat is one of the major causes for sea turtle endangerment. An extremely important place for sea turtles is the beach, because it is where they lay their eggs. Beaches can be destroyed by numerous actions. One is the building of seawalls and jetties. These man made structures can change the natural long-shore drift patterns therefore eroding good portions of beach. Beaches are also becoming increasingly polluted by humans. People litter on the beach and the trash isn’t always biodegradable. Trash also makes its way into the ocean and it is then washed ashore. This litter and pollution is dangerous for the nesting turtles and their eggs.
People around the world are taking action to prevent extinction of sea turtles. These actions include awareness programs, cleaning up beach litter, and implementing fishing laws. It is important that people try to help save these species because once they are gone, they will be gone for good.
sources for images:
http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/Phenomena-sea-turtles-Cape-Cod-631.jpg
http://lexiepbeach.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ridley-sea-turtle_687_600x450.jpg
http://www.seaturtle-world.com/images/Critically_Endangered_Hawksbill_Sea_Turtle_600.jpg
sources for summary:
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles
http://worldwildlife.org/species/sea-turtle
video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dIjS_48o8s